Ambulance Trial: “We still have fair-minded judges in Ghana” – Mahama
Ambulance Trial: “We still have fair-minded judges in Ghana” – Mahama
Ambulance Trial: “We still have fair-minded judges in Ghana” – Mahama
The presidential candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has opined that there are still fair-minded judges in Ghana.
This was in response to the decision by the Court of Appeal in acquitting and discharging the accused persons in the ambulance trial, which does not mean they have suddenly found their voices.
The former President noted that although they have concerns with the judiciary, the outcome of the case at the Court of Appeal has shown that we still have fair-minded judges.
He made the remarks in an interview with TV3 today, July 30, 2024.
When asked why the NDC has suddenly found their voices after the Court of Appeal’s ruling, Mr Mahama said “Not that we have suddenly found our voice, I do think that despite the issues we have with the judiciary there are judges who are fair-minded, we are not talking about all judges. In some cases we criticize judgments. For instance, to say that your birth certificate can’t be proof of your Identity as a citizen, I don’t agree with that judgment but they pronounced it and we have abided by it.
“We sent an election petition, we were thrown out, I said I respected the judgment of the court. So we have always respected the judgment of the court. As president I can say I never ever, once, interfered with the administration of justice, even though the Chief Justice was a church member of mine, I can say on authority I never ever discussed one case with her, I left it to the wisdom of the judges to make those determinations.
“In this government we know and we have heard of manipulation of judges, judges are called and told what decisions to take and all that. I do think we give judges security of tenure so that they can be fair-mined in what they do and I am prepared to work with the judiciary to create the kind of judiciary we deserve.”
Meanwhile, he also stated that Godfred Dame has been discredited and he ought to back off the case.
“I think that this Attorney-General has been discredited enough, anywhere in the world, with the things we have seen, the coaching of witnesses, and discussions with witnesses, this prosecution would have been struck out as malicious prosecution.
“I believe this prosecution is malicious. He is not as robust and energetic in pursuing other cases, even as we speak there is an ambulance case involving this present administration which is hugely larger than what he is prosecuting, and yet he has no interest in that.
“He is like a legal representative of the NPP party, over-enthusiastic in pursuing political opponents. I have said that when we come it will be the reverse, we will pursue accountability for the regime that has gone out but at the same time if any of our people are involved in the same things that has happened, for which we are prosecuting the previous government, we will prosecute them too.
So I think that the A-G is also the Minister of Justice, he forgets that, he thinks he is just the A-G. The Minister of Justice is supposed to ensure fairness. Anywhere else in this world, this case would have ended, he would never even have come to court .”
